The basics of excavation safety: an overview
Excavation has a big part to play in construction – and there’s more to it than just digging a hole. Essentially, the process removes rock and soil from the place where construction work is going to happen. It can also include clearing a location with drilling and trenching.
Excavating land is not necessarily always straightforward; expertise is needed to get it right. It requires good planning and a clear schedule of works. You also have to implement the correct drainage. And, of course, heavy equipment and machines are involved, including excavators and bulldozers.
Tragically, every year there are serious injuries and death caused by excavation collapses and falling materials. Equally, people and plant can fall into excavations. And, as the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) points out:
- A cubic metre of soil can weigh more than 1.5 tonnes
- No ground can be depended on to remain unsupported at all times
What are the stages of an excavation?
There are a number of these, and they typically encompass:
- Site prep
The building company works with other services including land surveyors before any work can start. This ensures the safe planning of the work plus the removal of any potential obstructions, including rocks, trees and so on.
- Excavation
This kicks off the process of removing or shifting rocks, soil and debris. Grading and smoothing take place at the same time, and the site will be prepped according to the plan for the particular construction scheme.
- Trenching
Where trenches are needed for foundation footings, these will be dug out. When done safely, trenching operations can reduce worker exposure to other potential hazards.
What are the main risks of excavations?
Risks include the collapse of excavations, and the falling of loose material, among other potential problems. You also need to have barriers at the edges of excavations to stop people from falling in, and ensure that excavations don’t undermine any nearby structures or buildings foundations.
Meanwhile, serious accidents can happen involving buried services such as electricity cables.
What’s more, OSHA standards state that a competent person (i.e. someone who can identify hazards correctly) must check trenches daily, and as conditions change.
Talk to us
At Pragmatic Consulting, we’re a training and assessment provider working across the construction and utilities industries. We provide a variety of training courses involving safe excavation practices.
Our new EUSR Endorsed Excavation Management Training has been created to help our delegates with the learning units in their NCO Water and Gas requirements as well as for wider awareness. This course introduces delegates to the theoretical and practical dangers of working near excavations - lots of examples from industry are used throughout
We offer the Energy and Utility Skills Register (EUSR) Category 2 course – Implement Safe (Digging) Excavating Practices.
This full-day course is for up to eight delegates, and we run it either at our training centres or a venue to suit you. It covers correct planning, responsibilities, safe digging, identifying hazards, locating and identifying services in an excavation and more. Delegates also dig a small excavation themselves, and assessment is done via practical plus oral testing, alongside multiple choice and written questions.
Following successful completion of the course, certification remains valid for three years
We also offer the EUSR Approved Appreciation of Excavation Course. This introduces delegates to the theoretical and practical dangers of excavation